On Aug. 31, the U.S. Department of Education awarded a three year Alaska Native Education Program (ANEP) grant to Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula to serve isolated public schools. The federal funding will be used to provide supplemental educational opportunities to students in grades 7-12 in Nanwalek, Ninilchik, Port Grahamand Tyonek.

Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula works in partnership with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School Districts to provide after-school and other educational support services.

“Continued federal support is vital to our success in working with students in isolated schools across the Kenai Peninsula. On behalf of Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula, I want to thank Senator Murkowski and the other members of our Congressional delegation for supporting rural schools, students, and parents,” said Jane Beck, executive director of Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula.

For the last 18 years, Project GRAD has partnered with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District to provide supplemental educational services in rural and underserved schools.

The grant, called POWER UP – Promoting Opportunity, Wisdom, Education, and Resilience for Underserved Populations, will help provide quality supplemental educational programming to rural schools. This funding enables Project GRAD to focus on academic, SEL, postsecondary and career readiness supports for the middle to high school levels.

“We are grateful for our long-time relationships with community members and village councils. We are mindful and honored to be welcomed by the Suqpiaq and Dena’ina people. We respect and honor their homelands and history,” said Bob Moore, chairman of the Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula Board of Directors.

The grant award will allow Project GRAD to hire additional academic coaches.

More information is available at www.projectgradkenai.org. For more information, please contact Jane Beck at 907-235-1062.